Communication Design and Social Context

for Retail News Magazine 5/2022

We Are Beings Who Develop Not Only Through Static Environments but Also Dynamic Ones—Like Our Social Space.

COMMUNICATION, PRESENTATION & SALES

The largest part of our brain is dedicated to visual perception, because we interpret most of our environment through sight.

Visual stimuli directly affect how we perceive our surroundings, and in turn, how we behave—both in exterior and interior spaces.

This holds true on:

• A micro scale – where we live and work, and

• A macro scale – visual preferences and symbols of a culture.

So:

Environment equals perception, which influences behavior.

We can change external conditions to influence the internal—and vice versa.

Emotions Are Contagious—Thanks to Mirror Neurons

Evolution allows us to empathize and adapt to our social environment, much like how we adapt to visual symbols that are socially accepted.

This applies at all levels:

• Families,

• Socioeconomic environments,

• Entire cultures.

It all starts with the individual—with our ability to empathize through mirror neurons.

These neurons allow us to:

• Sense another person’s state,

• Understand their feelings and emotions based on our own experiences.

Facial expressions and emotional imagery—like photos people can identify with—are universally relatable for humans.

Synchronous Communication and a Personal Approach

Lectures and stories have a unique magic when delivered in real-time.

This live exchange enables brain synchronization between the speaker and the audience.

It’s an incredible tool for social bonding. When we focus on a speaker, our brain aligns with their speech and thoughts.

This allows us to transform received information into our own concepts, and then store and recall them later.

If we master this process, we can:

• Hold attention,

• Synchronize thoughts,

• And share the most important information through a “synchronizing social gateway of the mind.”

Nonverbal Communication

And finally—the most essential for many of us—is nonverbal communication.

It’s:

• An evolutionary tool,

• Unconscious,

• And nearly omnipotent in its influence.

Nonverbal cues:

• Signal our mental state,

• Reflect our social position,

• Are affected by our environment, internal state, and hormone levels.

For example, testosterone and cortisol can strongly influence whether we act:

• Dominantly or

• Submissively.

But the reverse is also true:

By adjusting our posture and mindset, we can influence our own hormonal balance.

So:

Whether we’re authentic and well-aligned significantly impacts how trustworthy we seem—and how our message is received.